NBA 2016-17: Heavy’s Top 10 Power Rankings

Finally here, the 2016-17 season in the NBA stands to be an entertaining one. Just over four months ago LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers won the franchise's first championship, erasing a three games to one deficit to beat the Golden State Warriors in seven games. In most years the biggest offseason question would be some version of "what will the champs do for an encore," but not this one. The big question entering the 2016-17 season focuses on the Warriors, who won a league-record 73 regular season games but the inability to get that 16th win of the postseason made them the butt of jokes.
The Warriors made the biggest splash of free agency, signing Kevin Durant to play alongside the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. With the loaded Warriors in one corner and LeBron, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and the Cavs in the other, the two franchises appear to be on a collision course towards a third consecutive meeting in the NBA Finals. But the teams won't lack for challengers, with San Antonio and the L.A. Clippers leading the way out west and Toronto, Boston and Indiana among those in the east who feel like they can take out the defending champion Cavaliers. Add in young, improving rosters in places such as Utah and Portland, and the 2016-17 NBA season promises to be one fans will be captivated by on a nightly basis.
Here are Heavy's first power rankings of the NBA season, which will go ten teams deep and be updated on a weekly basis. (Getty)